Strigolactone
Encyclopedia
Strigolactones are plant hormones that have been implicated in inhibition of shoot branching.
Strigolactones are carotenoid
-derived and trigger germination of parasitic plant seeds (for example Striga
from which they gained their name) and stimulate symbiotic mycorrhizal
fungi. Strigolactones contain a labile ether bond that is easily hydrolyzed in the rhizosphere
meaning that there is a large concentration gradient between areas near the root and those further away.
lactone
s and are derived from carotenoid
s.
Strigolactones are carotenoid
Carotenoid
Carotenoids are tetraterpenoid organic pigments that are naturally occurring in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some bacteria, and some types of fungus. Carotenoids can be synthesized fats and other basic organic metabolic building...
-derived and trigger germination of parasitic plant seeds (for example Striga
Striga (plant)
Striga, commonly known as witches weed, is a genus of 28 species of parasitic plants that occur naturally in parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Witchweeds are characterized by bright-green stems and leaves and small, brightly colored flowers. Furthermore, they are obligate parasites of roots...
from which they gained their name) and stimulate symbiotic mycorrhizal
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
fungi. Strigolactones contain a labile ether bond that is easily hydrolyzed in the rhizosphere
Rhizosphere
The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms. Soil which is not part of the rhizosphere is known as bulk soil. The rhizosphere contains many bacteria that feed on sloughed-off plant cells, termed rhizodeposition, and...
meaning that there is a large concentration gradient between areas near the root and those further away.
Chemistry
Strigolactones are terpenoidTerpenoid
The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways. Most are multicyclic structures that differ from one another not only in...
lactone
Lactone
In chemistry, a lactone is a cyclic ester which can be seen as the condensation product of an alcohol group -OH and a carboxylic acid group -COOH in the same molecule...
s and are derived from carotenoid
Carotenoid
Carotenoids are tetraterpenoid organic pigments that are naturally occurring in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some bacteria, and some types of fungus. Carotenoids can be synthesized fats and other basic organic metabolic building...
s.
| (+)-Strigol | (+)-Strigyl acetate |
| (+)-Orobanchol | (+)-Orobanchyl acetate |
| (+)-5-Deoxystrigol | Sorgolactone |